9 classic movie remakes that will divide you

Not everyone loves the recent trend for movie remakes. When the news broke that Jumanji was getting a reboot, people weren’t exactly impressed. The 1995 movie, which starred Robin Williams as a man who’d been trapped inside a board game for 26 years, was loved by a generation. So, no remake (even one featuring Kevin Hart, Jack Black and The Rock) was going to make people happy.

Imagine everyone’s relief then when it was revealed that the new Jumanji would actually be a sequel, carrying on the storyline of the original film. PHEW! But if you are disappointed, here are a few of the biggest remakes to look out for now…

1. Willy Wonka

According to Variety magazine, Warner Bros has acquired the rights to Willy Wonka, and is planning a new film based around the eccentric master chocolatier and his early adventures.

This reboot is set to have producer David Heyman at the helm – the man who produced all eight instalments of the Harry Potter series as well as the new Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them film – so expect plenty of his signature magic.

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This all-female remake of Ghostbusters, which hit cinemas earlier this year, has a pretty amazing cast, including Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig and Leslie Jones. Despite this, people weren’t convinced by the gender reversing cast, but after a wave of positive reviews the haters were soon shut down.

3. Splash

In the original film, Tom Hanks reunites with a mermaid, Daryl Hannah who saved him from drowning as a child and falls in love with her. In this upcoming Disney remake, it’s Channing Tatum who’s the mermaid – merman – who falls for Jillian Bell. We’ve got high expectations for this one – Channing and Jillian have starred together before in 22 Jump Street and it was actually Jillian who came up with the idea for the remake.

4. Tomb Raider

It was one of Angelina Jolie’s most iconic roles, but now Alicia Vikander is set to star as Lara Croft in the 2018 reboot of Tomb Raider. She’s got some big boots to fill (literally) but we reckon Alicia, who won an Oscar for her part alongside Eddie Redmayne in The Danish Girl, is pretty perfect for the role.

5. Beaches

If you’ve never heard of 1988 tearjerker Beaches, get ready for that to change. Tony award-winner Idina Menzel – the incredible voice behind Elsa in Frozen – is set to take on the main role originally played by Bette Midler. With a soundtrack including Wind Beneath My Wings and The Glory of Love, we reckon Idina could be on for another ‘Let it Go’ moment.

6. The Mummy

Giving the 90s action franchise a new twist, this modern remake of The Mummy will be much more of a horror story. Russell Crowe and Tom Cruise take the lead parts, with Sofia Boutella playing a much sexier evil Mummy than we saw in the original version. Scheduled for release 9th June 2017, this version is ‘more designed to seriously scare the sh*t out of you,’ says Russell Crowe.

7. Ben-Hur

It was never going to be easy remaking the 1959 classic Ben-Hur, which won 11 academy awards, used the biggest film set ever and still remains one of the highest grossing films in history. But director Timur Behmambetov does an alright job of retelling the tale of a Jewish nobleman who is betrayed by a childhood friend, even if it was a little CGI-heavy.

8. The Magnificent Seven

Premiering at Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month, this western epic sees another Hollywood classic getting a contemporary reboot. It’s a more ethnically diverse seven this time, which stars Denzel Washington looking cool AF as gun-for-hire Sam Chisolm who helps feisty widow Emma – The Girl on the Train’s Haley Bennett.

9. Beauty and the Beast

Another Disney classic getting the live-action treatment, this version will see Emma Watson in the lead role of Belle and Dan Stevens starring as the beast. But it’s not just the titles roles that are getting the star treatment – Ian McKellen, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Luke Evans and Josh Gad are all confirmed as part of the cast. Fans of the animation needn’t worry either – all the original songs will be included, as well as a few new tracks created by Tim Rice.

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